Confronting Spirituality and Religious Issues Surrounding TBI Rehabilitation #857 

Bill Gaventa

THU, 3 NOV // 4:45 PM – 6:00 PM
ACRM ANNUAL CONFERENCE, Hilton Chicago

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Bill Gaventa, Consultant, Trainer, and Coordinator of The Summer Institute on Theology and Disability and others will discuss the topic; Sunil Kothari, MD, MA, TIRR Memorial, Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Baylor College of Medicine will moderate.

Religious and spiritual beliefs are a significant part of many people’s lives. Whether explicitly professed or implicitly held, they form the framework of meaning through which most of us interpret important life events, including the onset of illness and disability. As such, spiritual and religious beliefs constitute an important part of the lived experience of rehabilitation for many patients with traumatic brain injury and families; for them, disability and its aftermath are not only clinical events but also life-changing experiences with deeply existential and spiritual implications. Read More >>

Although important, the specific impact of an individual’s religious/spiritual beliefs can be complex: dramatic or subtle, positive and/or negative. The goal of this Chautauqua is to help rehabilitation professionals better understand and navigate the spiritual and religious domains of the rehabilitation process. In particular, it is hoped that the Chautauqua will help rehabilitation professionals recognize and constructively engage with religious and spiritual beliefs, whether our own or those of our patients and families.

We will present several clinical cases in which spirituality and religious issues played a significant role, either helping or hindering, the rehabilitation progress of patients with TBI. We will lead the audience through a thought-provoking discussion and debate of how these issues were handled, and possibilities for positive change in how Spirituality and Religious beliefs could be better dealt with as part of the rehabilitation of patients with brain injury.

Dr. Kristine Kingsley

“Religious and Spirituality beliefs are often very personal, but can also have a very strong influence on the rehabilitation experience and recovery process of our patients’ and their family members. This discussion brings sorely needed attention to a topic that very few health care professionals, administrators and researchers are uncertain how to address or have adequate training to do so.”—Kristine Kingsley, PsyD, ABPP-Rp, Rusk Rehabilitation, NYU Langone Medical Center